


things we can return to

by abandoned_quiche



Category: BanG Dream! Girl's Band Party! (Video Game)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-30
Updated: 2019-03-30
Packaged: 2019-12-26 15:46:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18285371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/abandoned_quiche/pseuds/abandoned_quiche
Summary: Swings make Kanon nostalgic; Chisato allows herself to indulge.





	things we can return to

**Author's Note:**

> 31_days: 18-11-01- 'In the days of my youth'

 

Chisato walked a couple of steps forward before she realized that Kanon was no longer beside her; she turned around to see that Kanon had stopped in her tracks, seemingly distracted by something. There seemed, to Chisato, to be nothing there; it was late, the sky was dark, and the way home lay empty but for the streetlights that illuminated their path. The residential walls around them, however, had given way to the space of a small park: this appeared to be what had taken Kanon's attention. Chisato followed Kanon's line of sight, but the park was as empty and deserted as one would expect it to be at that time of the evening. _Did she see something? An animal, perhaps?_

"Kanon? What is it?"

Kanon startled on hearing Chisato speak. "Oh! Chisato-chan! I'm sorry, I was just--... I was just thinking about the park, that's all."

Chisato turned around fully, closing the distance to stand next to Kanon. "Was there something in particular about it? It seems the same as it usually is, to me."

"Well, that was just what I was thinking." Even as she spoke, Kanon had turned away from the pathway and stepped through into the enclosed area. It was quite simple, but adequate for the purpose - a stylized elephant-shaped dome with a crawlspace inside, a slide with a climbing platform, and a set of swings. That, in particular, seemed to be what intrigued Kanon the most; she placed her bag to the side before taking hold of one of the metal bars that made up the frame, looking it over with a fond expression. "I walk past this most days, and don't even think about it. I just thought, when's the last time I sat on a swing?"

Chisato had followed Kanon into the park, albeit a little reluctantly. "A while ago, I should hope. We're a bit old for this now, don't you think?"

Despite this, Kanon had already smoothed down her skirt and had taken her place on one of the chain-suspended benches. She gently kicked back against the ground, letting herself be taken by the momentum. The sensation seemed to amuse her; she giggled, kicking back once more. Not with any great force, but enough to propel her.

"Kanon. You'll get your shoes dirty if you keep up with that..."

Without making any great move to steady herself, Kanon held her legs out as she let the swing complete its movement. "It won't hurt if it's just a little." She looked to the empty seat next to her. "Chisato-chan, you should try it too...!"

"If someone should see--..."

"Well, okay... it's really quiet at this time of the night, though..."

At any other time of the day, Chisato felt that the sight of children playing amongst the installations would not have been unusual; the current time was not particularly late for a high-schooler, but certainly so for those of an appropriate age to be playing in the park to begin with. She gave no argument to Kanon's words, but had to admit that she had a point. Even set between buildings as it was, the trees that formed the park's border prevented any prying eyes from the buildings closest. Lit windows were visible from across the pathway, but with curtains drawn. Strictly speaking, she knew that few would bat an eyelid on seeing people of even their age in such an area - talking after school, perhaps with snacks from the nearest convenience store, all of those small and ordinary things. There was still the part of Chisato's mind that said, specifically, _if somebody sees you here, then--..._ but it was exhausting to be on high alert _all_ the time, and the street was, as Kanon had pointed out, as quiet as it could be. Despite this, she still held the strap of her bag with both hands, regarding the empty swing with slight suspicion.

"Or... maybe you could push me...?"

Chisato looked at Kanon, then; it was an innocent enough request, though one that Chisato still felt she shouldn't quite indulge. _Why are we even here like this to begin with!? We could have been home by now, if it wasn't for being distracted by all of this._ The promise of _home_ brought that of the evening meal, as well as necessary study - in comparison to that, sitting around in a children's play area felt quite superfluous. At the same time, though, was Kanon's expression; a small smile on her lips, gazing up at Chisato with the whim of that request clear in her eyes. There was part of Chisato that couldn't help but think _that's quite forward of you to ask, isn't it?_ Even in things like this, Chisato felt she could see the ways in which Kanon was growing, softly and slightly, day by day, ever more confident. It was a needless question, but it was also one that Kanon had asked of her, and so she felt disarmed. Any reason not to do so fell under that questioning glance. _People might see--_ (but there was nobody around). _We're too old for this--_ (but did it matter all that much? Especially with nobody around to see them in the first place). _This is pointless--_ (but it was something that Kanon wanted, so...)

Sighing gently, Chisato set her bag alongside Kanon's own, walking around to the other side. "If it's just a _little_."

"Ehehe. Thank you, Chisato-chan...!"

Standing behind the swing, Chisato pressed her hands gently against Kanon's upper back. She didn't want to push too hard, but the swing was designed for exactly that action; it didn't take much pressure for Kanon to swing forward. Chisato stepped back in anticipation of the backward swing, then pushed once again. It was a simple thing, but Kanon really seemed to be enjoying it; laughing at the movement, a wide smile on her face. _It's good to take pleasure in the small things, isn't it?_ Chisato pushed her again, wondering how many times fell under the definition of 'a little'.

This had come about through Kanon wondering the last time she'd used a swing; standing there, ready to push her each time, Chisato couldn't help but wonder the same thing. If it had been recently, or if it had been some time in the past... as a child, who would have pushed Kanon on a swing? _Her parents, perhaps._ Through childhood, a friend might have been asked to do so. Had there been someone like that, back then? Kanon was one of Chisato's dearest friends, but she was shy - she could ask Chisato for this now, but back then, would she have been able to? Again, it was a small thing. _Barely worth thinking about._ ( _And yet..._ )

"You seem like you're having fun." Having pushed what felt like enough times, Chisato stepped aside, allowing the swing (and Kanon) to slow to a stop.

"It _is_ fun...! It almost seems a little unfair that these are only for children. Why would this stop being fun?"

"You'd really have to make sure nobody was watching if you were planning on still doing this as an adult..."

"Maybe I should get a house with a garden and put a swing of my own in it. Then it would be fine, right?"

"Indeed, if that's what you want, then nobody would have the right to stop you. ...Would that be a priority, on buying a house?"

"Well... I don't know how likely that is to actually happen. It'd be nice, though." Kanon hesitated for a moment before glancing back towards where Chisato stood. "Would you like me to push you? If it's just me asking you to do all the work, that's kind of unreasonable..."

"I don't mind. This is something you wanted to do, after all."

"Well... if you're sure..." (Kanon didn't look convinced by this reasoning.) "When do you suppose the last time you went on a swing was, Chisato-chan?"

"Oh, well... I suppose--... well, there was that one drama..."

Kanon lit up on recognizing the reference. "I remember that--! You were on a swing, and you were crying... it was super dramatic! I was really moved!"

Chisato glanced to the side, feeling that vague buzz of irritation that she never _quite_ knew how to respond to such praise from her immediate peers - or, even harder, her _friends_. The fallback was, always, just to be polite. "... Thank you, Kanon. That was quite a while ago, so I wouldn't expect you to remember..."

"Does that count as actually using a swing, though? That wasn't really--... you couldn't really have fun like that, could you?"

"Certainly, nobody's going to disturb a film set in such a way, no."

"So... before that?"

Chisato sighed, but with a smile. "Really, you're asking me to remember such a vague thing... I suppose it must have been when I was a child. I don't recall that there was anything like this park too close to where I lived, back then, but there must have been some occasions, I'm sure. Of course, I was quite busy--... not to make myself sound too tragic, you understand. Of course I played on things like this, I just don't suppose I committed those exact times to memory. I could easily turn the question back towards you...! Weren't you just saying that you don't remember when you last used one? Which, I believe, is what led us here in the first place..." (There was a small voice in Chisato's head that said _you're getting too defensive about this._ Kanon only smiled in response. Chisato wasn't sure that it helped.)

"Then, all the more reason for me to push you. Right?"

"... If it makes you happy."

This admission seemed to work immediately. Kanon smiled and clapped her hands together before standing up from the swing, walking up and around to get into position. "I think it would make you happy too, Chisato-chan!"

Chisato took her place on the swing bench, noting the chain segments under her hands that still held some residual warmth from Kanon's touch. She took in the view, slightly different from the changed perspective; the street beyond was still empty, and the night sky was still as dark as it ever was. _What view would a child see from this seat?_ Likely the same, albeit under a different context. Chisato wasn't fully aware of all of the neighborhood children, but liked the thought of them approaching the swing with hardly a care in the world - _or maybe that's just an innocent daydream._

"Are you ready?"

"I am, yes."

There was a moment of hesitation in Kanon's hands before she pressed them to Chisato's back, before she then gave a stronger push. Chisato had to admit to herself, the sensation was pleasant; a swing was as low-stakes an activity as any child could undertake, but there was still some joy to be had in the feeling of moving back and forth, the brush of breeze against her skin, the way the landscape changed as she moved back and forth. _Children would come here during the day, wouldn't they?_ A day full of bright sunshine, or perhaps fluffy clouds making their way across the sky... that sky that to them was so dark there was barely a star to be seen, but that was the consequence of arriving after sunset. ( _Of course, we'd have no reason to be here otherwise. Little reason to be here at all, but--..._ )

Kanon seemed quite adept at getting into the correct rhythm to push Chisato, each time the backward swing dictated that she should. Chisato didn't laugh like Kanon had done; instead, she closed her eyes, focusing on that which she could hear and feel around her: The creak of the swing. The mildest shifting sensation in the pit of her stomach. The slight touch of Kanon's hands, each time. Things that children would do without thinking - _but perhaps, as a child, I was already too busy thinking._

As Chisato had done previously, Kanon allowed the swing to come to a halt, after a time; as it slowed, she took hold of the chain at a higher height, helping to bring it to a standstill. She smiled, as Chisato looked up at her. "So... was it fun?"

"... It was quite enjoyable, yes. ...Maybe you have a point."

"How do you mean?"

"It's quite easy to forget things like this, isn't it? These simple pleasures."

Kanon sat down in the second swing, pushing herself gently back and forth with her heels. "It's nice to do something like this every once a while." She smiled and gave a small laugh, almost as if by accident. "... I was just thinking what would happen if Kokoro-chan were to see me like this."

"Oh?"

"I'm sure if you made even the slightest suggestion to her, she'd make... something happen. I'm not sure what. A garden full of swings, maybe. A whole theme park of them. Something like that. Something so amazing, you wouldn't even think to imagine it before she made it happen... but that's just the sort of person she is." Kanon glanced down towards the ground. "I like this too, though. Something quiet, just like this. When there's nobody else around, and we can just spend time together. Like this." She looked back up to Chisato, an apologetic look on her face. "You probably need to get back home, though. I know how busy you always are."

Despite knowing that similar thoughts had run through her mind not too long previous, Chisato simply smiled. "Not so busy that we can't take this time together. ...You're right, I have to admit that it's quite nice. Sometimes, things are so busy it's hard to imagine it ever being able to be quiet... yet, despite that, here we are." (She thought of Kokoro, knowing that the things that Kanon had spoken of seemed entirely plausible. That group certainly seemed loud and hectic even at the best of times - _but they make Kanon happy, don't they?_ Even just then, Kanon had smiled, thinking of the possibility. Even if, to Chisato, such a thing seemed like it would only be troublesome - _but that's not my place to judge._ )

"And we walk past this park so often, too. It's right here, after all, so it's easy to get to...!"

"It certainly is in a convenient location."

"We should come here again, definitely. Though I suppose after school, there still might be kids around... maybe not so much at this time of the year, with it getting darker earlier..."

It was easy to see the effect of unknown possibilities weighing down on Kanon's expression, the doubt that suddenly struck her. Chisato responded to that by kicking her own feet against the ground, propelling her back into the air. "That simply means we have to pick our moment, don't you think?"

With such a decisive answer from Chisato, all concern cleared from Kanon's face, to be replaced by a warm smile. "... R-right...!"

 


End file.
